Adopting Industry Practices in Delivering Professional Presentations: Considerations in Teaching Presentation Skills in University

Abstract

In an effort to increase graduate employability and minimize university-industry mismatch, concerted efforts have been taken by the Malaysian government to encourage collaboration between universities and the industry. Such linkages have led to a more informed curriculum review process, especially for language and communication courses. This research examines the current practices of industries in delivering quality professional presentations to be incorporated into the teaching and learning of presentation skills at higher education level. Ten industry representatives consisting of managers, heads of departments, and directors from established telecommunications, agriculture, medicine, property, financial services, and investment corporations in Malaysia were interviewed. The results show that storylining and incorporating infographics using minimal slides are among the best practices in current corporate presentations. Additionally, the ability to deliver a clear purpose statement and curating the delivery to suit the perspective of the audience were also considered as fundamental to deliver effective presentations. Thus, the practices identified in this research are crucial to be incorporated into current presentation courses in university to enhance students’ presentation skills and develop their ability to do well in delivering pitches and performing in interviews, especially to increase their employability and ensure the courses are relevant to current industry needs.